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Uganda pledges military support to Somalia

A high ranking delegation from Uganda lead by the country’s Minister for Defense Dr. Crispus Kiyonga arrived in Somalia’s capital city, Mogadishu, for talks on how to double Uganda’s mission to secure the fragile Somali Transitional Federal Government (TFG) from its rival groups including fighters loyal to the hard-line group, al-Shabab islamist militants.

Uganda and Burundi are some African countries that provide peacekeeping troops to Somalia through AMISOM.

Dr. Kiyonga also met Somali President Shiekh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed at Villa Somalia, for the first time since AMISOM began security operations, in that country five years ago.

After hours of touring the capital, the two defense ministers held a joint press conference at Somali Presidential Palace where Mr Isse thanked and praised his Ugandan counterpart for visiting Somalia and standing by his government with military support against heavily armed Islamists.

Mr Hussein told the reporters that such visit shows how Uganda was ready to assist them, adding the security is improving since al-Shabab had withdrawn its fighters in June this year from many sections of Mogadishu. He also gave a credit to TFG soldiers backed by AMISOM for victory to oust the rebels out of their strongholds in the capital.

Dr. Kiyonga also thanked Somalia for her involvement in national and regional reconciliation and supporting humanitarian assistance for troubled people being highly in need of peace and order in their country. He hoped that everything will be going on a positive side and added that his government will continue to help Somalia.

“Uganda will continue to support Somalia; we shall train Somali forces in Uganda. We are planning to send about 2000 more solders to Somalia”, Dr Kinyonga said.

Somalia has not had any central government since 1991 after Mahamed Siyad Barre regime was toppled.